Mill Creek exhibition presents a ‘Black Metropolis’ before its 1959 destruction episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 12, 2025 · 28 MIN

Mill Creek exhibition presents a ‘Black Metropolis’ before its 1959 destruction

from St. Louis on the Air

On November 15, the Missouri History Museum will open a major new exhibit focused on Mill Creek Valley. Home to nearly 20,000 people, the neighborhood was erased in 1959 as part of St. Louis' push for urban renewal. We get to know two former residents of Mill Creek Valley who experienced that destruction as children, and who now are part of the larger effort to revive the neighborhood’s memory. Vivian Gibson, author of “The Last Children of Mill Creek," and Malaika Horne Wells, author of "Mother Wit,” share their memories of Mill Creek, their work to collect oral histories from other former residents. and a special preview of the documentary "Remembering Mill Creek: When We Were There."

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Mill Creek exhibition presents a ‘Black Metropolis’ before its 1959 destruction

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This episode was published on November 12, 2025.

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On November 15, the Missouri History Museum will open a major new exhibit focused on Mill Creek Valley. Home to nearly 20,000 people, the neighborhood was erased in 1959 as part of St. Louis' push for urban renewal. We get to know two former...

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